The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Department of Tourism (DoTr), under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE), officially launched the Bhutan Integrated Tourism Master Plan 2025-2034 on 21st February 2025 in Thimphu.
The event, held in honour of His Majesty The King’s 45th Birth Anniversary, was attended by approximately 30 tourism stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, private sector leaders, and international partners. The ceremony was presided over by the MoICE Minister, Namgyal Dorji.
The Bhutan Integrated Tourism Master Plan 2025-2034 serves as a strategic blueprint to transform Bhutan’s tourism industry into a sustainable engine for national development.
Developed through the “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation in the Tourism Sector in Bhutan” initiative—supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF)—the master plan is structured around four key pillars.
Director of DoTr, Damchoe Rinzin, said, “We are focusing on four main pillars in this master plan. We are aiming to build a collaborative tourism ecosystem and encouraging Public – Private – People Partnerships (PPPP) where it will be a government-led private sector driven and community-based approach. We will also be focusing on pioneering regenerative tourism and regional development catalyst. We will also be positioning Bhutan as a year-round travel destination.”
With a forward-looking vision, the plan lays out strategies to enhance Bhutan’s appeal to responsible and mindful travellers. Key initiatives include sustainable infrastructure development, expanding tourism offerings, improving accessibility, and embracing digital transformation to maintain global competitiveness. Additionally, the plan prioritizes workforce development and entrepreneurship, ensuring sustainable employment opportunities, especially for the Bhutanese youth.
UNDP Resident Representative, Mohammad Younus, said, “The launch of the Bhutan Integrated Tourism Master Plan is a key milestone in the ongoing USD 4.854 million ecotourism project, a collaboration between the Royal Government of Bhutan, UNDP, and GEF initiated in 2021. As Bhutan works toward becoming a global leader in regenerative tourism, UNDP remains committed to supporting this vision through this project and other related initiatives.”
The Director of DoTr further said that even though the master plan will not touch upon the SDF fee structure, they are going to use adaptive marketing using AI and various digital, tech-savvy techniques to attract tourists.
“In terms of infrastructure, the private sector will do their part, and we plan on improving the trails and roadside amenities, such as building integrated roadside gas stations and restrooms. We are also developing an App for tourists and it is in the first phase for now,” said the Director.
In response to the majority of Indian tourists visiting the country last year and this January, the Director said that they are aiming to balance the number of SDF paying tourists and Indian tourists by 2026.
